Rhino Poaching (outside SA) & Horn Trafficking

[Richprins]

Sounds a bit like SA?

IMO the camera traps were taken down by those involved...


Thanks, Mello!

[nan]

what disaster

[Mel]

Gang of poachers kill 2 rhinos in Kaziranga
By TNN | 22 Aug, 2013, 12.14AM IST

GUWAHATI: A gang of poachers shot dead two rhinos and chopped off one's horn in a pre-dawn strike at Kaziranga National Park, about 250km from here, on Wednesday.

The two sub-adult rhinos - one male and the other female - had strayed out of the park and were killed around 3am barely 10 metres away from the National Highway-37 that passes along the southern boundary of the park. Poachers used automatic guns to kill the animals. The incident took place about 250 metres from the Sirang anti-poaching camp under Burapahar forest range of the park. "The poachers, who used AK-47 rifles, fired at the rhinos from atop a mound. On hearing the gunshots, our forest guards rushed to the spot. By then, the poachers had managed to cut off the horn of one of the rhinos. They fled when the guards fired at them," Kaziranga divisional forest officer S K Seal Sarma said.

Forest minister Rockybul Hussain said preliminary investigation indicated involvement of militants from the Karbi Anglong district, which borders Kaziranga. "Today's (Wednesday) poaching is the handiwork of militants. Bullet shells of AK-47 rifles were recovered from the spot. The militants used the nearby mound as a vantage point to fire at the rhinos," Hussain said.

The minister expressed concern over the fact that militants were poaching rhinos in the park. Park authorities said that 18 rhinos have been poached in the park this year so far, though the unofficial figure is at least 20 casualties.

Hussain said that the forest department, along with wildlife conservation NGOs, is exploring the feasibility of installing a temporary fence along the boundary of the park to prevent rhinos from straying.

He said that the forest department also plans to add more firepower to the forest force. "The Centre has approved the department to procure 2,000 SLRs, 540 carbines, 30 9mm pistols, 25 revolvers and 10 light machine gun," Hussain informed.

[Mel]

Another rhino poached in Kaziranga, 27th this year
20:11 HRS IST

Kaziranga, Sept 1 (PTI) A female rhino was shot dead and its horn stolen in Kaziranga National Park, taking the total number of rhinos killed this year in poaching to 27.

Park officials said the six-year-old rhino was shot dead by poachers in the Bagori Range of the park last night.

On hearing gun shots, the authorities launched a search operation and recovered the de-horned rhino's carcass with bullet injuries at around 5.30 PM today, they said.

[Mel]

[...]
The Environment Ministry, the Kenya Wildlife Service and other arms of government must step up the game to protect the endangered species, facing increased poaching. That some 35 rhinos have been killed this year alone and 385 elephants were downed last year should set off the alarm bell for all stakeholders, including communities living around the game reserves.
[...]

Taken from:

The war on poaching needs backing of all

[Toko]

3 MEN FOUND WITH RHINO HORNS ARRESTED

BY SIBUSISO ZWANE

MANZINI – Three alleged poachers have been arrested for allegedly being found with two rhino horns without a permit or licence on Tuesday at Mahhala Shopping Complex.

Mfanafuthi Dlamini (38) of Maloma, Bongi Thumbela (29) and Vana Mkhabela (20) both from Mncon-cwane were arrested by the police at Mahhala in Matsapha after they were allegedly found trying to trade in the two rhino horns. They were found inside a car with registration numbers KSD 822 AH.

The suspected poachers were charged with two counts. In the first count, they were charged for allegedly being found with a trophy of a special protected game with two rhino horns in the said car without a permit while in the second count, they were charged for allegedly trading in two rhino horns, a special protect game without a permit.

When this report was complied yesterday, it could not be established where they obtained the horns from.
Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Wendy Hleta confirmed the arrest and said police were still investigating the matter.
Yesterday, they appeared at the Matsapha Circuit Court before Senior Magistrate Joe Gumede where they were formally charged with the afore mentioned counts. During their appearance, they preferred to conduct their own defence.

However, before they could plead, the Crown applied that the trio be remanded back in custody until next Wednesday, pending the Director of Public Prosecutions’ directive.
Meanwhile two rhinos were killed at Hlane Game Reserve in 2010 and 2011 while in October 3, 2013 a notorious rhino poacher, Lucky Maseko, who was believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least ten rhinos in two years in Southern Africa was reportedly shot dead by police in the country.

After his shooting, two rhino horns, a 303 long range rifle, a 22 long range rifle, and 17 live rounds of ammunition were recovered at the scene.
The arrest of the three also comes at a time when Big Game Parks is offering a reward of up to E50 000 for anyone who could provide information which could lead to the conviction of a rhino poachers.

According to Big Game Parks, the war against rhinos was escalating and in a period of five months, South Africa had lost 367 rhinos to poachers and most of the cases were recorded at the Kruger National Park.
In the past few months a well-known humanitarian, Kingsley Holgate described the country as the best country in the world when it comes to protecting rhinos.

He said in all the countries that he had visited advocating the protection of rhinos, Swaziland was the first in which he found the government and game reserve owners working together in the fight to clamp down on rhino poaching.

[Flutterby]

Irishman Charged in NY in Black Rhino Horns Case

NEW YORK September 19, 2013 (AP)
By TOM HAYS Associated Press


An Irishman used forged documents to sell horns from endangered black rhinos to a New York collector for $50,000, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Michael Slattery was arrested on Saturday at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport while boarding a flight to London.

A judge ordered Slattery held without bail during an appearance Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn. Slattery's attorney didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

A criminal complaint alleges that in 2010 Slattery traveled from London to Houston to try to buy two horns at a taxidermy auction house. Learning that he needed to be a resident of Texas to make the purchase, he recruited a day laborer to be a straw buyer, the complaint says.

Slattery — identified by U.S. prosecutors as a member of Ireland's Gypsy minority, known there as travellers — and unidentified suspects gave the straw buyer $18,000 in $100 bills to complete the deal, the complaint says.

Later that year, Slattery met with a Chinese buyer in Queens and sold four horns using endangered-species bills of sale with fake Fish and Wildlife Service logos on them, the complaint says. It's unclear where he got the additional two horns, it says.

Three of the five species of rhinoceros in Africa and South Asia have been hunted to the verge of extinction because their horns command exceptionally high prices for use in traditional Asian medicine chiefly in China and Vietnam, where the powdered horn is marketed as an aphrodisiac and even as a cure for cancer. The horns are made of keratin, a fibrous protein that is the building block for skin and hair, and has no documented medicinal value.

In 2011, Europol issued a warning that an Irish Gypsy criminal network based in the County Limerick village of Rathkeale was responsible for dozens of thefts of rhino horns across Europe. Europol said the thieves, called the Rathkeale Rovers, had already targeted museums, galleries, zoos, auction houses, antique dealers and private collections in Britain, continental Europe, the United States and South America.

Earlier this year, masked men stole stuffed rhinoceros heads containing eight valuable horns from the warehouse of Ireland's National Museum in a heist being linked to the travellers.

[Flutterby]

BJP demands Centre's intervention to stop rhino poaching

Thursday, September 19, 2013, 21:10

Guwahati: BJP president Rajnath Singh today demanded that the Centre intervene to stop the continuing rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park in Assam where 31 of the animals have been killed so far this year.

Singh said that as the state government has "failed" to control the rampant poaching in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Centre should immediately intervene to halt the menace.

"If the state government does not act, the Centre must intervene immediately," Singh told reporters here.

"Assam is known worldwide for the one-horned rhino and its tea. The rhinos are being poached in Kaziranga and the state government is a mute spectator to it," he said.

Singh demanded that the state government investigate to find out those involved in the poaching rackets, punish them under stringent laws so that no one dares to indulge in illegal animal hunting and killing in the future.

Rhino horns are highly valued in the international black market fetching lakhs of rupees for their so-called medicinal values and for being a status symbol for a section of people in south east Asian countries.

[Toko]

WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IN EUROPE: THE TIP OF A GROWING ICEBERG

(This blog is adapted from an article that will be published in the Norwegian Police Magazine Miljøkrim, publication date August 2013)

Globally, illegal wildlife trade is flourishing like never before. Wild populations of elephants, rhinos, tigers and many other mammal, bird and reptile species are facing a risk of extinction due to massive, large-scale poaching and trafficking. This illicit trade is fuelled by a surging demand in Asia for exotic wildlife. Evidence that organised crime groups in Africa and Asia have become heavily involved in the low risk, high profit business of wildlife trafficking is mounting. Moreover, ivory poaching in Africa is feeding armed conflicts and as such is posing a threat to international security. Public concern and outrage at this onslaught is great, including in Europe. There seems to be a perception among the general public as well as many governmental and non-governmental organisations that wildlife poaching and trafficking is mostly a problem in Africa and Asia. There is evidence, however, that it is happening in Europe as well. This article discusses some incidents of wildlife smuggling that have occurred in Europe recently, which show that Europe is affected by the poaching crisis in Africa and the wildlife trafficking to Asia and which indicate that wildlife trafficking may be more widespread than some might wish to think.

Rhino horn trafficking

A few years ago a rumour started circulating in Vietnam: it was said a high-level Vietnamese government official had been cured after consuming rhino horn. The rumour is considered to be false, given the fact that rhino horn is made up of keratin, the same substance as human fingernails. It had terrible consequences, however, because it sparked a surge in demand for rhino horn from Vietnam. This demand led to an unprecedented rise in the illegal killing of rhinos in Southern Africa and the trafficking of rhino horns from all over the world, including the EU. Prices of rhino horn now surpass that of gold ($55.000 per kg), and so it is no wonder rhino horn trafficking has spiralled out of control.

Whereas in Africa live rhinos are being killed for trade, in Europe it is old horns from museums, antique shops and private collections that have become the target of criminals wanting to cash in. Thanks to good criminal analysis work by EUROPOL, in 2010 it emerged that members of an Irish organized crime gang, the Rathkeale Rovers, were stealing and illegally buying up rhino horns all across Europe.[1] Despite the publicity concerning this rhino horn smuggling ring and preventive measures taken by museums, the rhino horn thefts are still on-going. Recent incidents happened in Portugal (March 2013)[2], the UK (April 2013) and Ireland (April 2013).[3]

Other groups and individuals have also become involved in the illegal rhino horn trade in and from Europe:

- In 2012 the Czech Republic’s authorities discovered that Vietnamese nationals residing in the Czech Republic were recruiting Czech citizens to shoot rhinos in South Africa under the guise of a hunting permit and bring the horns back to the Czech Republic. The horns were then most likely smuggled to Vietnam.[4]

- In February 2013 Dutch authorities seized five rhino horns (estimated value €125.000)) and arrested two suspects who had tried to sell the horns.[5]

- In March 2013 two Chinese passengers from France were arrested in Shanghai for smuggling rhino horns and ivory (total estimated value $800.000).[6]

Ivory trafficking

From rhinos, let’s move on to ivory. Anyone who reads the newspapers is aware that a slaughter is taking place among the elephant populations in Africa. Tens of thousands are killed illegally each year now, and if this continues African elephants may go extinct within 10 years time. Frequent seizures of tons of ivory tusks in Asian harbors testify to the magnitude of this illicit trade. The sophisticated manner in which it is conducted shows the hand of organized crime networks.

The huge ivory shipments find their way to Asia on ships that most often take direct routes from Africa to Asia. Unknown quantities are trafficked via Europe too, however, both via sea and air. Belgian Customs, for example, makes frequent seizures of ivory as well as other wildlife parts from Asia (e.g. pangolin scales, seahorses, reptile skins), both from parcel post and Chinese passengers from African countries transiting in Europe en route to China. Possibly, the EU is also an end destination for some of this ivory. In April 2013 Belgian Customs seized 17 kg of ivory from the luggage of a Chinese passenger from Democratic Republic of Congo in transit to Romania.[7]

Surveys of wildlife trade on the Internet have further shown that it is not just Asians who fancy ivory. An investigation in 2012 into the online ivory trade in the EU by INTERPOL uncovered considerable volumes of online ivory trade. 660 ivory advertisements found on 61 websites in 9 countries during a 2-week period were analyzed. The adverts represented an estimated volume of around 4500 kg, with a value of nearly € 1.5 million.[8]

An illustration of the money craze that has drawn many to try their luck in wildlife crime is the rather astounding incident that happened in in the Natural History Museum of Paris, March 2013: a man hacked off a tusk from an elephant exhibit, which had belonged to Louis XIV (see photo).[9]

Odd stuff hidden in vehicles

It is a well-known fact that the lack of border controls in the EU has facilitated the trafficking of all kinds of illicit goods as well as humans. Wildlife is no exception. Criminal investigations into illegal wildlife trade in several EU countries have shown that illegal wildlife often finds it way into the EU through entry points where enforcement is weakest, and from there is transported by road to end destinations across the EU.

An incident that points at such trans-boundary trafficking occurred in the Netherlands in February 2013. During a routine inspection by the Dutch border police on the highway in the most southern province of Limburg (bordering Germany and Belgium) a Congolese man was found to have a sack of monkey parts in his car. The border police made the grisly discovery when they looked in the back of the car and noticed the sack, with two monkey hands sticking out.[10] It is unclear where the monkey parts came from, but it is likely that the parts had been smuggled into a European airport from an African country. As we know, the meat of monkeys and other wildlife from African forests is savored as a delicacy by Africans. The trafficking of bushmeat from Africa is very worrisome, not just from a viewpoint of species conservation, but also because it is known to carry infectious diseases. HIV, for example, is suspected to have spread from apes to humans through bushmeat consumption.[11]

Another disturbing find happened in that same month, February 2013, when a Vietnamese man was arrested in the Czech Republic with a sack of tiger bones in his car.[12] The man claimed the bones were intended for his own use, to produce medicine. In Vietnam tiger bones are used to produce tiger bone glue. It is likely the tiger bones came from a tiger that had lived in captivity, probably in a zoo or circus. The incident is evidence that there is illegal trade from such captive sources, an illegal trade that goes unnoticed in the vast majority of cases.

Why should we be concerned?

It is telling that most of the examples of illegal wildlife trade mentioned above occurred in the time frame of a few months. And these are only a selection of incidents that were reported in the media. Clearly, these incidents indicate that wildlife trafficking is happening right under our noses.

Illegal wildlife trade is not only a threat to endangered species in Europe and other continents. It is a potential threat to human health, as the bushmeat trafficking incident shows. Wildlife crime is linked to other types of crime such as fraud, money laundering and corruption. Furthermore, the involvement of criminal organizations, not just in Africa and Asia but also in Europe (e.g. the Irish and Vietnamese gangs) is a threat to the rule of law in all countries affected.

[1] ‘EUROPOL and Ireland identify organized crime group active in illegal trading of rhino horn’, EUROPOL press release 7 July 2011: https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/p ... ino-horn-9

[2] ‘Valuable rhino horn thefts from Coimbra Museum’, Algarve Resident, 22 March 2013: http://www.algarveresident.com/0-52026/ ... bra-museum

[3] ‘Rhino heads and horns worth £428,000 stolen from Irish museum’, BBC, 18 April 2013: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22200051

[4] ‘Interpretation and implementation of the Convention, Rhinoceroses: Report of the CITES Secretariat to the 16th Conference of the Parties’, CoP16 Doc. 54.2 (Rev. 1): http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/16/doc/E-CoP16-54-02.pdf

[5] Dutch language press release: ‘NVWA neemt vijf neushoornhoorns in beslag’, 21 February 2013: http://www.vwa.nl/actueel/nieuws/nieuwsbericht/2030365/

[6] ‘Ivory, rhino horn smuggling rises’, Shanghai Daily 21 March 2013: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2013-03/2 ... 313004.htm

[7] Belgian Customs Airport News CITES 12/2013, dated 29/04 2013 (unpublished).

[8] ‘Project WEB: An investigation into the ivory trade over the internet within the European Union’. INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme, February 2013, accessible via www.interpol.int.

[9] ‘Chainsaw man caught stealing tusk from Louis XIV elephant in Paris’, The Guardian, 31 March 2013: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ma ... ris-museum

[10] Dutch language news report: ‘Dode aap op achterbank gevonden’, 13 March 2013: http://nos.nl/artikel/484123-dode-aap-o ... onden.html

[11] F. Van Heuverswyn and M. Peeters: ‘The origins of HIV and implications for the global epidemic’, Current Infectious Disease Reports, July 2007, Volume 9, Issue 4, pp 338-346: http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 007-0052-x and: ‘Lethal viruses could leap continents in bushmeat trade’, New Scientist, 12 January 2012: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2 ... dbUBD5NtwU

[12] See EcoJust blog: ‘Tiger trade in the EU?’, 26 February 2013: http://www.ecojust.eu/tiger-trade-in-the-eu/

[Flutterby]

Vietnam rhino breeding raises conservation fears

South Africa Tuesday 1 October 2013 - 11:49am

Yusuf Omar

Hanoi, October 1

Vietnamese zoos are aggressively importing South African rhino and other wildlife. There is growing concern that some Asian nations, like Vietnam, are collecting the animals to farm them for their horns. eNCA

Some conservationists are worried Asian nations may be breeding the animals to farm their horns, but others say it is not such a bad idea, as it would save rhino from extinction.

Vietnam’s last native rhino was killed in 2010, and since then the nation has been importing them from South African game reserves – allegedly for educational purposes.

There are too many rhino here for a zoo and we now suspect they are breeding for farming.
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“There are 26 rhino in Vietnam. They are all legally imported from South Africa,” said Nguyen Quan of the Vietnam Wildlife Crime Unit.

They are not the only South African game in Vietnam.

Bai Son Park better resembles a prison than a zoo. All of the giraffe, zebra, hyenas, lions and giraffe are from South Africa. The fear amongst some conservationists is that they are being bred for a time when the sales of wildlife parts is legalised.

“We are concerned. There are too many rhino here for a zoo and we now suspect they are breeding for farming,” said Douglas Hendrie of Education for Nature Vietnam

But many conservationists believe farming rhino for their horns, like cows, could save the species. Made of keratin, the horns grow back every four years.

“Theoretically if there was a very strict control on sale of rhino horn, it’s something to look at,” suggested Andrew Paterson of Rhinose Foundation.

But the risks are great.

What if Vietnam’s 90 million people develop an appetite for rhino horn? And could supply meet the potential demand of 1.3 billion people in neighbouring China?

It would be also be difficult for authorities to tell the difference between legal and illegal horns.

The sale of rhino horn has been banned internationally for 30 years.

South Africa is home to 90% of the world’s rhino.

If government decides the trade could save the species from extinction, it could convince Cites to legalise sales.

-eNCA